Refute vs Impugn - What's the difference?
refute | impugn |
To prove (something) to be false or incorrect.
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To deny the truth or correctness of (something).
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(obsolete) To assault, attack.
To verbally assault, especially to argue against an opinion, motive, or action; to question the truth or validity of.
In transitive terms the difference between refute and impugn
is that refute is to deny the truth or correctness of (something) while impugn is to verbally assault, especially to argue against an opinion, motive, or action; to question the truth or validity of.refute
English
Verb
(refut)Usage notes
The second meaning of (refute) (to deny the truth of) is proscribed as erroneous by some(compare Merriam Webster,1994). An alternative term with such a meaning is (repudiate), which means to reject or refuse to acknowledge, but without the implication of justification. However, this distinction does not exist in the original Latin , which can apply to both senses.